November 4, 2008
October 18, 2008
BEST-SELLING AUTHOR TO SPEAK AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE
DAYTON, Ohio - Join best-selling author Dr. Donald L. Miller as he discusses his award-winning book, Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany, on Oct. 30 at 7:30p.m. at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
The book, which appeared on the Air Force Chief of Staff's 2007 reading list, describes the deep personal story of the American Eighth Air Force, which fought the longest American military campaign of World War
II and lost more men in the war than the U.S. Marine Corps.
Dr. Miller focuses on both sets of victims in the air war: the German people who were bombed and the American crews who did the bombing. He also explains the military impact and mortality of strategic bombing, as well as the mental strain of the air crews, which served as the theme of the popular Hollywood film, twelve O'Clock High!
This free lecture will be held in the museum's Carney Auditorium and is open to the public. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Special book-signings will take place in the museum's gift shop prior to the lecture at 1 p.m., and then again following the lecture in the Carney Auditorium.
Dr. Miller, who is also the author of eight other books, received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Maryland, and has taught at Cornell University, the University of Maryland, the University of Pennsylvania and is currently the John Henry MacCracken Professor of History at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa.
His articles and reviews have appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune, and his books have been nominated for every major American literary prize, including the Pulitzer, the National Book Award, and the National Book Critics Circle award.
He is a contributing editor of American Heritage magazine, host and chief historian of the PBS series, A Biography of America, and has participated in the writing and production of more than two dozen television documentaries, including American 1900, which received a prestigious Peabody Award.
Dr. Miller also serves as chief historical consultant and script editor on two film projects including a Tom Hanks production on WWII for the National D-Day Museum, and a 10-part series on WWII based on the diaries of Allied and Axis combatants for The History Channel.
In addition, he is working on two more books titled Supreme City: New York in the 1920s, and The Siege: The Fight for Vicksburg, the Decisive Battle of the American Civil War and also serves as chief historical adviser to the CEO of the National World War II Museum.
The National Museum of the United States Air Force is located on Springfield Street, six miles northeast of downtown Dayton. It is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day). Admission and parking are free.
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123119423.
October 7, 2008
October 1, 2008
August 30, 2008
July 6, 2008
June 2008 Summary: Col. James H Kasler presentation
Tuesday, July 8, 2008 Col. James H. Kasler shared some of his story with us at our monthly dinner. Below are just a few notes that I have from the event. They are not comprehensive. Col. Kasler shared so much! Thank you, Col. Kasler, for the visit.
Regarding the F-100, Col. Kasler said the aircraft was very difficult to fly at first and that it was sent back to the manufacturer after he, and other test pilots, flew it. Six to seven months later they got it back and the improvements made it a much better aircraft to fly. When it was deployed Chuck Yeager got command of the first wing at Edwards AFB, and Col. Kasler got the second wing based out of Nellis AFB.
Col. Kasler shared that he spent six and half years as a POW in Viet Nam. If I heard the story correctly from the back of the room, his first contact with John McCain was through the "tap code". He later ended up "rooming" with John McCain in prison. More of what Col. Kasler endured during his captivity is shared on this article from the POW Network carrying his bio (note: it is not for the faint of heart).
Since he could only be with us for a couple of hours, I did a few searches on the internet and found a few more interesting nuggets (links below) to share with the club:
And if you didn't get a copy of his book, Tempered Steel, you can purchase a copy at the link below, or your local bookstore.
7/16 Update: John Brill sent in some pictures from the event. Here's a picture of our club President with Col. Kasler. The rest of the pictures can be viewed here.
Regarding the F-100, Col. Kasler said the aircraft was very difficult to fly at first and that it was sent back to the manufacturer after he, and other test pilots, flew it. Six to seven months later they got it back and the improvements made it a much better aircraft to fly. When it was deployed Chuck Yeager got command of the first wing at Edwards AFB, and Col. Kasler got the second wing based out of Nellis AFB.
Col. Kasler shared that he spent six and half years as a POW in Viet Nam. If I heard the story correctly from the back of the room, his first contact with John McCain was through the "tap code". He later ended up "rooming" with John McCain in prison. More of what Col. Kasler endured during his captivity is shared on this article from the POW Network carrying his bio (note: it is not for the faint of heart).
Since he could only be with us for a couple of hours, I did a few searches on the internet and found a few more interesting nuggets (links below) to share with the club:
- Col. James Kasler Senior Squadron
- Illinois town dedicates park to local war hero
- Entry @ Wikipedia
- Kankakee is Proud Home of Air Forces Most Highly Decorated Veteran
7/16 Update: John Brill sent in some pictures from the event. Here's a picture of our club President with Col. Kasler. The rest of the pictures can be viewed here.
January 7, 2000
January 6, 2000
RSVP
At the Door: $22.00
Advance or Reservations: $20.00
1st time guest: $10.00
Youth 16 or under $10.00
1st time guest: $10.00
Youth 16 or under $10.00
Please RSVP to: John Brill
Telephone: (317) 877-7777 h (317) 501-8610 c
Mail to: 107-A Knoll Ct, Noblesville, IN 46062
email: jwbrillsr@aol.com
.
Telephone: (317) 877-7777 h (317) 501-8610 c
Mail to: 107-A Knoll Ct, Noblesville, IN 46062
email: jwbrillsr@aol.com
.
January 5, 2000
History of the Indianapolis Aero Club
Edward F. New, William Sherman and Dr. Charles W. Roller founded our present club in June, 1933. The club started with a group of about thirty-five aviation minded persons. The Hoosier Flying Club preceded our club. It, in turn, was preceded by the Aero Club of Indianapolis which was formed in 1922 by members of the 464th Pursuit Squadron based at Schoen field to “make Indianapolis Calgary , Banff , Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon , and more. On one trip to Florida Rough River State Park and lunch on a stern-wheeler on the Ohio
The club came close to dying in 1983, when membership dropped to about forty-five members with less than twenty people at the meetings. Bob Bruce took over the presidency and instituted many changes in the operation of the club. For some six years he served as a one man committee, personally finding the speaker, making site bookings, menu selections, doing the complete “Report & Meeting Notice” mailings (writing, printing, folding, addressing), and receiving the reservations. The paying of expenses for guest speakers with the increased attendance easily offset the cost. In the first year, the membership jumped to over 200. This was a new beginning for the Indianapolis Aero Club. “Hoosier Hospitality” and obtaining many notable speakers have gained a nationwide reputation for the club. Space does not permit listing all of the over 200 notable speakers which included air race pilots, hump pilots, astronauts, the originator of the “Star Wars” anti-missile program, the heads of aviation museums, the founder of the EAA, three survivors of the “Memphis Belle” (one of whom included our scholarship program in his will), many military aviation heroes, the heads of aircraft factories, and many authors of aviation related books, such as “God Is My Co-Pilot”.
We enjoyed a Concorde flight engineer that British Airways sent from London
Our own members have also provided excellent programs. In the past, these have included a member of a parachute jumping team that forms intricate formations as they freefall, a member who flew his Bonanza to Hawaii , two members who flew around the world in a single engine Piper and returned to Indiana
Early in the “rejuvenation” years, a scholarship program was initiated. A gamble of chartering commercial flight to Oshkosh before the seats were sold paid off, and other charters were sponsored, including the Air & Space Museum in Washington, NASA in Huntsville , and two trips to Pensacola , including a day at sea watching planes take-off and land on the Lexington , and a trip to the new Aerospace Museum
The club helped sponsor the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds in past years.
Today, our club is healthy, but changing. A larger percentage of the members are “Aviation Enthusiasts” rather than pilots. As a result, most of our “Fly-Outs” are in a commercial charter jet rather than a Piper Cub of Cessna. We seem to have become a “once a month dinner meeting and speaker” social club with actual flying activities confined to a relatively small group. This is not necessarily bad; however, we must maintain our excellent programs to maintain membership. “Service” programs such as the scholarship and Young Eagle programs must be expanded to bring in young members. Hopefully, the new crop of general aviation airplanes will bring about a resurgence of pilots, and we can once again have forty-five planes headed for Florida
January 4, 2000
Indianapolis Aero Club Noted Guest Speakers
Jerrie Mock - Humanitarian Pilot
Mr. & Mrs. John Odom - Founder – Trade A Plane
Ann Pellengreno - Traced Amelia Earhart flight
Dr. Charles Roller - IAC Club Founder
Max Karant - AOPA
Harmon O Pritchard - AOPA
Gen Paul Tibbets, Jr. - Piloted Enola Gay
Dr. Joseph P Allen - NASA Astronaut
Dr. Herb O Fisher - Civilian Test Pilot
Victor Agather - B-29 Restorer
Alex Vraciu - USN Famed Fighter Pilot
Captain Don Williams - Astronaut
Gen. James Record - USAF
Gen. Jay Kelley - USAF
Paul O Poberezny - EAA Founder
Thomas Poberezny - EAA President
Phil Boyer - AOPA President
Captain Al Haynes - Sioux City
John Tetrake - TWA Hijack
Admiral Martin Carmody - USN
January 3, 2000
Indianapolis Aero Club Honorary Members
Jerrie Mock - Humanitarian Pilot
Mr. & Mrs. John Odom - Founder – Trade A Plane
Ann Pellengreno - Traced Amelia Earhart flight
Dr. Charles Roller - IAC Club Founder
Max Karant - AOPA
Harmon O Pritchard - AOPA
Gen Paul Tibbets, Jr. - Piloted Enola Gay
Dr. Joseph P Allen - NASA Astronaut
Dr. Herb O Fisher - Civilian Test Pilot
Victor Agather - B-29 Restorer
Alex Vraciu - USN Famed Fighter Pilot
Captain Don Williams - Astronaut
Gen. James Record - USAF
Gen. Jay Kelley - USAF
Paul O Poberezny - EAA Founder
Thomas Poberezny - EAA President
Phil Boyer - AOPA President
Captain Al Haynes - Sioux City
January 2, 2000
Indianapolis Aero Club Past Presidents
1934 Geroge L Gamsjager
1935 Louis Schwitzer
1936 Louis Schwitzer, Jr.
1937 Buford Cadle
1938 Bufor Cadle
1939 Walter B Smith
1940 Wilber Shaw
1941 Harold D Unger
1942 Dr Charles W Roller
1943 Stewart Gandolf
1944 Earl Armbrust
1945 Earl Armbrust
1946 Gene Dawson
1947 Robert Joyce
1948 Paul Hudson
1949 A Lee Caldwell
1950 Ted Nicholas
1951 Paul Bradley
1952 William E Jackson
1953 John Sloan Smith
1954 Tom E Aughinbaugh
Robert Kilby
1955 Fred Grumme
1956 Earl W Springer
1957 JJ Hoffman
1958 F Edward Butz
1959 Ted B Lewis
1960 A Lee Caldwell
1961 Donald E Marlatt
1962 W Brooks Fortune
1963 John Barnett
1964 Ted Nichols
1965 John Owen
1966 Richard L Cunningham
1967 Joe Clark
1968 Richard Adomatis
1969 Frank Harris
1970 Joe Norman
1971 Jerry Siefers
1972 Cyrus Dryden
1973 Paul Schlundt
1974 Bill Wilson
1975 Ferdinand Boyce
1976 Ralph Soots
1977 Warren Cicotte
1978 Russel Rink
1979 Jom Shelton
1980 Richard D Ervin
1981 Dr. William Hildebrand
1982 Bruce Normington
1983 Robert Q Bruce
1984 Robert Q Bruce
1985 Leroy Whitaker
1986 Leroy Whitaker
1987 Rolland “Tack” Nail
1988 Rolland “Tack” Nail
1989 Gloria Tasseaux
1990 Gloria Tasseaux
1991 Donald E Born
1992 Donald E Born
1993 Leann Anthony
1994 I S Lazerov
1995 I S Lazerov
1996 James Graham
1997 James Graham
1998 Chuck Koshnick
1999 Chuck Koshnick
2000 Don Dunkerly
2001 Don Dunkerly
2002 Ron Schafer
2003 Ron Schafer
2004 Dick Egan
2005 Dick Egan
2006 Mary Kay Schroeder
2007 Mary Kay Schroeder
2008 Bill Jamison
2009 Bill Jamison
2010 Doug Wagner
2019 Jeff Ucchino
2020 Jeff Ucchino
2021 Rodney Davis
2022 Rodney Davis
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